Sliding table top construction



Jan. 5, 1943. J. D E 2,307,396

SLIDING TABLE TOP CONSTRUCTION Fil ed 7 Feb. 15, 1940 Z nmwrm Patented Jan. 5, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE sunmo. TABLE 'ror CONSTRUCTION Karl J. Draxler, Los Angeles, Calif. Application February 15, 1940, Serial No. 319,090 7 Claims. (Cl. 311-106) The present invention relates to dining tablesin particular, altho of advantage for other purposes, and its purpose is to provide means of showing the same component parts in an op- 'erative eccentric position.

space economy where space is at a premium as for instance in restaurant booths, breakfast nooks and all crowded placeswhere seating arrangements must be closely arranged of necessity.

The facility of this table construction in permitting lateral movement of the table top in any direction independent of the base, without being separated from its support, permits closer seating provisions, and seating provisions that ex- .tend around the entire table, as the top may be readily shoved in any direction while the users of the table are being seated, and then returned to a concentric position in relation to the seating arrangements and in relation to its own support.

With a securely fastened base and closely fitting moving parts this eccentric property of the table top becomes a means of saving much space and providing a. far more comfortable seating process then possible with closely fitting rigid table and seat construction, and it has the further advantage of being capable of having places changed without the users changing places.

This feature makes it desirable'in industrial applications where light work may proceed thru various stages toward completion by having a number of workers do a number of operations in rotation on a single product without moving the ,product on the work table .or moving the workers from their seats or stands at the table.

Rotary table assembly lines may not be new,

- but we hold that an eccentric rotary table constitutes a new contribution to these provisions of great advantage.

In food processing plants such table would have a very useful place as the material worked upon can gradually proceed into a finished condition in a rotative order without the often impractical mechanical tempo of machine operation being a cause of slighted work or unfinished operations passing on to the next operator.

'There'are many places where a table of this kind could be used to transfer food or other items from one enclosure to another thus saving transfer operations.-

Further objects and advantages of my invention will more clearly appear from the follow ing detailed description taken in connection with the annexed'drawing in which like reference characters indicate like parts. In this sheet of drawings showing preferred embodiments of my invention: 1

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation showing the normal disposition of the component parts of my invention positioned, concentrically in relation to each other.

Figure 2 is a plan view looking upwardly and mounted to underlie 2.

Figure 3 is a view in transverse vertical section showing the table top shifted to a position opposite from that shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view in plan looking upwardly and shows the invention embodied in a'table having a rectangular top.

The four views may be described in greater detail by the following reference to their several numerals identifying the major parts of the table construction.

Referring to the drawing, l is the table top proper, hereafter referred to as the super-table, and embraces the outer circle as shown in Fig. 2, or the top section of Fig. 1; 2 is the sub-table, or base disc, upon which the super-table slides laterally in any direction, and is a fixed member which never changes its position at any time. 3 is a spacing ring attached to the outer under edge of the super-table l', for the purpose of properly spacing to match the thickness of the sub-table 2. 4 is a retaining ring-plate secured to spacing ring 3, having an opening somewhat smaller than the diameter of the sub-table 2 and 5 is the supporting pedestal member for the assembly of super-table upon fixed sub-table, supporting same in free moving position secured by ring-plate 4. 6 in Fig. 3, shows the floor base at the bottom of pedestal 5, providing means for anchorage. I is a circular handling rail or rod attached completely around the outer under edge of the complete super-table assembly for the purpose of convenient movement. These members function as follows:

Sub-table 2 is integrally joined to pedestal member 5 as a fixed part thereof, and 5 is a fixed part of the floor base 6 anchored by screws to the floor, all of which combination of 2, 5 and 6 provides a solid immovableassembly concentrically fastened in the booth or wherever the table is to remain installed. Upon this base structure of 2, 5, and 6 rests laterally free moving vertically without range of movement, the super-table composed'of the assembly of l, 3, and 4 with the hand rail member '1 attached for convenient shifting of the assembly. This top assembly rides'closely fitted upon the sub-table 2 and is thus capable of being readily shifted from the concentric position shown in Fig. 1 to the eccentric positions shown in Figs. 2 and 3, going in any direction and in any degree desired within the mechanical limitations of its construction,

variable with the use of a variety of measurements possible in construction at different points.

Such measurements are irrelevant in this speciflcation outlining only the basic principles of my invention structurally, and seeking protection broadly, within the scope of the claims attached Ringplate l is securely attached to spacer ring 3 under the table top I, and moves with the table top integrally underlying sub-table 2, the diameter of which latter member it will be seen in Fig. 1 is greater than the opening in said ring-plate making impossible the accidental separation of the fixed and the movable parts of the complete table structure.

The facility of this table top in being capable of all directional movement laterally, while immovable vertically, lends it to use in spaces smaller than ordinarily practical for a given size, and permits practical round-the-table seating with any shaped top, round, square, hexagon, or oval, as may be desired without inconvenience in seating. When desired it can readily be locked by a number of simple, possible fasteners and used as any ordinary rigid table, and structurally it can be so well made that it will not sag under severe service or abuse, and properly made there is little to get out of order in its operation and movement can be accomplished from any point by the use of the underslung handle member 1 running all around the table.

My invention likewise can be built of a great variety of materials and in many degrees of quality using both woods and metals, as well as various compositions and the structure may range from small card table to heavy shop tables and special jobs.

Having thus in the foregoing particularly described in detail my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A table construction for a sliding table top, and comprising a relatively stationary element serving as a support and a relatively movable element secured to the table top, said relatively stationary element and said relatively movable element comprising a universal sliding connection permitting the table top to slide in substantially all directions in its plane while said relatively stationary element remains stationary.

2. A table construction comprising a table top, a support smaller than said table top and slidably supporting said table top, means movable with said table top and adapted to slide under said support as said table top is moved off center with respect to said support, and means laterally spaced from the periphery of said support, when said table top and said support are centered, for securing said first mentioned means to said table top, whereby said table top is adapted to slide in substantially all directions in its plane across said support while restrained by said first mentioned means from tipping.

3. A table construction comprising a slidable table top, a relatively stationary table top smaller than'said first table top and slidably supporting said first table top, means movable with said first table top and adapted to slide under said second table top when said first table top is moved off center with respect to said second table top, and means laterally spaced from the periphery of said second table top, when said first table top and second table top are centered, for

. securing said first mentioned means to said first table top, whereby said first table top is adapted to slide .in substantially all directions in its plane across said second table top while restrained by said first mentioned means from tipping.

4. A table construction comprising a circular slidable table top, a circular relatively stationary table top having a diameter substantially onehalf the diameter of said first table top and slidably supporting said first table top, a shelf secured to said first table top and having a central aperture approximately the size of said second table top, said shelf being adapted to slide under said second table top as said first table top is moved off center with respect to said second table top, and means adjacent the periphery of said first table top for securing said shell in spaced relation to said first table top, whereby said first table top is adapted to slide in substantially all directions in its plane across said second table top while restrained by said shelf from tipping.

5. A table construction comprising a slidable table top, a flange secured to said slidable table top underneath the same and extending substantially from the periphery of said table top towards the normal vertical axis of said table top and said flange extending parallel to said table top and spaced therefrom, said table top and said flange comprising a casing, and a smaller table top in said casing and supporting said first table top, said first table top and said casing being slidable in all directions in a horizontal plane on said smaller table top, said casing having a periphery serving as a stop to abut the edge of said smaller table top.

6. A table construction comprising a circular table top, a flat flange beneath said table top and extending parallel thereto and having an outside diameter substantially the same as the diameter of said table top, a spacing ring having an outside diameter substantially the same as the outside diameter of said flange and said table top, means securing said flange, said ring and said table top together, and a smaller table top closely fitting the space between said first table top and said flange, and loosely fitting the space between the periphery of said smaller table top and said ring.

7. A table construction comprising a pedestal adapted to rest on the fioor, said pedestal terminating in and having fixed thereto a table top having an extended flat upper surface, a main table top slidably supported by said fixed table top, with the upper surface of said fixed table top in face to face relation with the bottom of said main table top, a flange on and underneath said main table top and extending from the periphery thereof to points underlying said fixed table top, the top of said flange (from a point adjacent the periphery of said main table top) extending inwardly toward the center of said main table top and spaced therefrom a distance at least as great as the thickness of said fixed table top, said fixed table top extending radially from said pedestal a shorter distance than the distance from the center of said main table top to the periphery of said flange, thereby providing a space in all radial directions from the center of said main table top between the periphery of said fixed table top and the interior periphery of said flange when said main table top is centered on said fixed table top, whereby said main table top is slidable on said fixed table top in all radial directions, from said centered position, at right angles to the axis of said pedestal.

KARL J. DRAM-ER. 

